Improvement in whiffletree-hooks



A SMITH. Whiffletree-Hook.

No. 212,276. Patented Feb. 11,1879.

TNESSES: INVENTOR: Q/W/flm ATTORNEYS.

N.FETERS, PHOTOMTHOQRAPNER, WASHINGTON. D. c

NITED TATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALLEN SMITH, OF FORT RANDALL, DAKOTA TERRITORY.

IMPROVEMENT IN WHlFFLETREE-HOOKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 212,276, dated February11, 1879; application filed December 17, 1878.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLEN SMITH, of Fort Randall, in the county of Toddand Territory of Dakota, have invented a new and useful Improvement inDevices for Attaching Traces to Whiffletrees, of which the following isa specification My invention relates to a bolt or plate secured to theends of whiffletrees, and provided with a button pivoted in a slot ofthe trace bearin g.

The object of my invention is to prevent the liability to breakage andconsequent accidents incidental to the slotted bearin g.

The invention consists in forming the hearing in a ditferent localrelation to the bifurcation, to enable the strain to be borne withoutfracture, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation of my improvedfastening device, with the tongue in a position for entering or removingthe trace. Fig. 2 is an elevation, showing the parts in the positionthey naturally assume.

, Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The device, as shown, consists of a pin having a screw portion, a, andan outer end or head, I). The screw is entered into the end of awhiffletree (shown in dotted lines) up to the shoulderc, leavingthe headI) projecting. d is the bearing for the trace. The head I) is forkedoutside the bearing (1, and in the fork is pivoted loosely a tongue, f,by a pin that passes through at about the center of the tonguelengthwise, so that the tongue, when at right angles to the head, as inFig. 2, will project at each side far enough to prevent the trace fromcoming off. One end of tongue f is heavier than the other, so that itsweight will tend to keep the tongue always in its vertical position.

To fasten or unfasten a trace, it is only necessary to turn the tongueby hand in line with the head, as in Fig. 1. The tongue will then beinclosed by the forked end of the head, out of the way.

The shape and size of tonguef may be varied to suit a heavy or lightwagon; but in all cases one end should be the heaviest, so that joltingwill not close it and cause the trace to get oft.

This device is simple and efficient. There are no springs to get'out oforder, and there is butlittle liability of the parts becoming injured.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- The bolt a, provided with a trace bearing, (7,between the bifurcated head b and the shoulder 0, as and for the purposespecified.

ALLEN SMITH.

itnesses JOHN CUNNINGHAM,

DANIEL L. PRATT, Jr.

